During the middle of the semester, school hits you pretty hard. Especially since it seems that projects, tests, and essays always happen on the same day. It’s like the teachers planned it that way. Although studying is important, it should not compromise your wellbeing — especially your sleep.
Sleep is very important to our health in many ways we don’t even imagine. For example, your skin will be more likely to develop acne as a side effect of sleep deprivation. Also, gaining weight and even having a compromised immune system comes from lack of sleep. There even is a paradoxical side effect of not having enough sleep, forgetfulness. While cramming for a test is important to getting a good mark, not having enough sleep makes you more forgetful. It also makes have more trouble learning and even concentrating.
Although sleep may seem simple — your brain is surprisingly busy while you’re asleep. It can help you become better at a skill you learned while awake, like practicing while you’re asleep. As well as removing waste, your brain literally disposes of toxins while asleep like a toilet. If you don’t have enough sleep it’s like you’re walking around with a gross brain that needs to be cleaned.
Although it may seem impossible to get a full nine hour sleep sometimes because of life and all the messy stuff that’s in it, it’s important to know that it shouldn’t compromise the most important thing, your health. While working hard is very important, sometimes it’s best to rest and allow your body to heal.
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